Page 52 of Baby Girl

I interrupted, “Hold on, did you hear this from A-Train, or from someone else?”

“The Train himself told me,” he responded, lifting his beer mug to his mouth with both hands.

“Okay, sorry Crash, go ahead.”

“Ok, let’s see…anyway, he’s uhm…he’s got a text from her. Says she’s working late. He wonders, because it’s Friday; why ain’t she coming home and going in to the office in the morning. He waits till about 8:00, and he calls her. She answers. He says she says some shit like, hey baby. Now, he said as soon as he heard that, he knew what was up. She never answers the phone like that. You know The Train; he’s all into patterns of behavior and shit. Anyway, he said he asks her a question. He says, so, what are you doing? She says driving, and she sits there, music playing in the background,” Teddy paused for effect, raised one eyebrow, took a slow drink, and put his mug on the table.

“Now, here’s where it gets good. Train says, Okay, here’s the deal, that’s ‘The Weeks’ on the radio. Ain’t no station in town play ‘The Weeks’, and you ain’t got ‘The Weeks’ CD. So, you’re either with Steve, because he’s got the CD, or he’s in your car, and you’re listening to his CD, ” he placed his forearms flat onto the table, leaned forward, and looked me in the eyes as he raised both eyebrows.

“Well, what fucking happened, Teddy?” I asked.

“She starts screaming. Oh my fucking God, he knows were together, and goes apeshit. She tells The Train, Oh, I’m so sorry, and then starts screaming at Steve that she’s sorry, and back at The Train, and the Train says, Do not come home, and she starts screaming, Oh my God, he’s gonna kill us,. And the Train hangs up. Said she called back a few times, and he didn’t answer.” Teddy stood up, wiped his forehead, and looked into the parking lot.

I was afraid of what was next. People get into relationships with another man’s wife, and don’t always consider the repercussions associated with doing so. To them it’s about sex and fun. The woman wants a relationship. The man lies, and tells her what she wants to hear. Sooner or later, people always get hurt. The maintenance of love. If people put the energy into the relationship that they are already in, most could be saved. Teddy turned, and walked back to the table slowly.

“So, Train loads his fucking assault rifle, drives to Steve’s fucking house, and stakes it out. He’s in full fucking gear, flipped the fuck out. Going around the house, setting trip wires and shit. Her car is in the driveway. Sends a message to Steve. Says, ‘If you call the cops, I will at least kill the first two on the scene, we both know that. And you will have the blood of those cops on your hands,’ cause he knows Steve’s a tree hugging Buddhist. Sends both of ‘em a text message. Says, ‘if I see your head pop up in a window, I’m gonna kill ya’. And he goes back to the street, gets in his truck and sits and waits - with night vision goggles on,” Teddy pushed his palms down on the table, and straightened his arms, pressing his massive chest outward.

“Well, what happened? Jesus, Teddy.”

“He sat there three fucking days. From Friday night till Monday night. Nobody came out, nobody moved. Doubt if anybody slept. Steve says he sure didn’t. Said the adrenaline and such, plus no sleep and no shower had him smelling like a wet monkey. Said he smoked six packs of cigarettes. Took six packs. Said when he smoked the last one, he started the truck, and sent a text, and said, ‘It’s over. I don’t care what you do, I’m done,’ Teddy stopped, and exhausted the breath from his lungs in an exaggerated fashion.

“Well, what’s happened since?” I asked, wondering what became of Steve, A-Train’s wife, and A-Train himself.

“Well, you know The Train. Strange fucker right there. He just lets go. He says, fine, fuck it. No big deal. He files divorce paperwork the next day. Say, Tuesday. And then calls Steve, and says he wants to meet. Steve says fuck no, calling the Train crazy. And Train says, dude, you fucked my wife, you owe me this. Steve is scared it’s a trap, and don’t wanna meet. Train convinces him it ain’t a trap, tells him he will meet in a pair of shorts, and flip-flops, with no shirt – to prove he ain’t packing. Crazy bastard. And he said Steve agreed. So, he meets him at that coffee shop up the street here. Rides his fucking chopper. In God damned shorts, no shirt, and fucking flip-flops. He gets off, stands out front, and waits for Steve. Steve pulls up, walks up to Train, and asks what he wants. Train shakes his hand. Tells him, sorry for the grief I put you through at the house, it was uncalled for. And then tells him good luck….and he gets on his bike and leaves. In flip-flops and fucking shorts,” Teddy slapped the table with his hands as he finished the sentence.

“So, is that it?” I asked.

“Well, ain’t that enough?” Teddy responded, raising his eyebrows and grabbing the handle on his beer mug.

“Yeah, just wasn’t sure if you were done. Damn. Yeah, A-Trains a piece of work, that’s for sure.

“Well, that’s all I got. That’s all that’s happened. That and fucking Heather,” Teddy said.

“Well, you know, it’s a damn shame about Train. Kelli and I were talking about this just the other day. People don’t ever put into a relationship what they need to maintain it. Trains wife could have been happy with him forever; he’s a damn good dude. But, she decided to stray, and get some cock somewhere else. Probably thought it would never amount to anything but getting some stray cock. And, once they start screwing around, they never stop. And, it never ends well, no matter what,” I shook my head and took a drink of water.

“So what are you and Kelli gonna do? I mean, you two gonna be in it for the long haul?” Teddy asked as he looked into his empty beer mug as if it really wasn’t empty.

“Well, I don’t know for sure. She is so much different, to me, than anyone I have ever been around. I don’t know how much of it is her, how much is me, and how much is just because of the timing or whatever. I guess it doesn’t really matter. She does for me what I always have thought a girl never could. She makes me want her. She makes me want to be with no one else, ever. She actually makes me stop even thinking about other women,” I realized as I spoke about her how much she meant to me.

“Yeah but you’re a fucking weirdo about that house. Your mom’s house. You don’t really let people in it, do you? You still like that, Doc?” Teddy asked.

“Well, I haven’t, no. You know, I grew up in that house. Then, off to college for what, twelve years? And then came home, and mom was killed. She and I are the only two that have ever lived there. It’s tough to think about someone else in that house.” I responded, feeling almost offended that he had asked.

“Doc, maybe it’s time you let go. You know we all have talked about it. Your mom and all. You always been a tough fucker. In school, now. Hell, you grew up as a kid and was the man of the house. Damn, I always admired you for that. Never really knew you real well till after high school, but, knew of you. But, after your mom passed, you just let go of making any kind of progress in life. You just stopped,” Teddy stood as he finished talking, and began to pace back and forth.

“Keep talking, if you have something to say,” I said, realizing he was uneasy.

“Well, you don’t let people in that house. You run around fucking girls and not ever getting close to them. When they like ya, you ditch ‘em. Hell you tie ‘em up, slap ‘em, beat ‘em, and all that crazy shit you’re in to. And they agree. You really think they are agreeing to do all of that because they just like it? Hell no, they ain’t. They’re agreeing to it because they wanna make you like ‘em, Doc. Fuck, I ain’t even a shrink, and I know that. You know it too, you just tell yourself otherwise. You’re a fucking doctor, for Christ’s sake. And you’re a doctor for the brain and all that shit. Knowing how a person’s mind works. If anyone knows what people are thinking or ought to be thinking, it should be you. We all just want you back, Doc. We want you happy,” Teddy stopped pacing as he finished speaking, and looked me in the eyes.

I stood, put my hands in my pockets, and thought. Kelli was, to me, different. I actually not only enjoyed my time with her, but looked forward to it. She was a person that I felt as if I could spend time with and never reach a point that I didn’t want her around. Having her live in the house with me was a totally separate issue.

“Brother, I am making progress. I think this girl is a good thing for me. Let’s see what happens with her. These things, these changes…they take time,” I said, actually believing what I told him.

“Well, let’s do this. Let’s take the girls on Saturday’s poker run. Heather and baby girl. Let’s take ‘em with us,” Teddy said as he stopped pacing and looked me in the eyes again.

“Are you fucking serious?” I asked, offended that he even suggested it.

“Yeah, dead serious. If you’re serious about her, bring her around the fella’s. Introduce her to the club. I’m taking Heather anyway, we already discussed it. If you won’t bring her and show her off to the fella’s, you ain’t serious. So, you gonna bring her,” he asked, both eyebrows raised, his hands raised in the air.